Of Stargazing, Butterbeer, and Goat Cheese and Crackers
by Subra Leonis
Summary: Stargazing; the amazing form of passing time and marveling at the beauty of nature. Lily and James meet randomly at the observation deck near the Forbidden Forrest to watch the stars. This is the story of how they got together, told in a one-shot. Please read and review! :) COMPLETE ONE-SHOT!


**Hey everyone! It's my first one-shot! Yay! I thought who better to do it on than Lily and James, one of my favorite couples! And what are they doing? Stargazing; "the amazing form of passing time and marveling at the beauty of nature". I have always loved the stars, and I was talking to a friend about how someone (my sister) would love to go on a stargazing date ;) (although I think it would be my dream date too) I was struck with inspiration, and typed it up right away! This is for you M + B! :) **

**I do not own Harry Potter, only the idea in this one-shot!**

One cloudless, chilled night in September would find two former enemies sitting on the observation deck close to the edge of the Forbidden Forrest on Hogwarts' property. What were they doing there? The amazing form of passing time and marveling at the beauty of nature; stargazing.

James would say it was his guilty pleasure, like chocolate is Remus'. Lily would say it was a way for her to reflect on her life and beliefs. For either reason, both of them would be found lying on the deck, gazing at the sky filled with stars.

Lily had gone out to the grounds first, attempting to get a hold on her crazy life at the moment. Seeing the new observation deck that was built for care of magical creatures, she strode over to it, clutching a blanket and pillow. She would be able to get a marvelous view there, Lily figured.  
She climbed up the steps, spread her blanket, fluffed her pillow, and lay down, exposing herself to the stars above.  
It was Lily's seventh year, and she, along with James Potter, had been made Heads. Lily reflected on her new friendship with James. It seemed so long ago that they were yelling and hating each other. Now Lily felt that she could tell and talk to James about anything; life, relationships, her sister who was the opposite of a death eater. She truly trusted him now.

'It's my last year,' Lily thought, 'I want to do something special that will signify this year, and make it the best I've had so far. But how would I do that? The Marauders have already decided to make it their best year by pulling and planning the best prank yet, but that's something that they would do. . . How could I?' She lay gazing up at the stars thinking for a while, before someone interrupted her.

* * *

It was around 11:30 at night when James finally decided to get up and take a walk. He had been tossing and turning all night, and he was a-hundred-percent certain that he wouldn't be able to get to sleep anytime soon.

'It was a Friday night, September 18th to be exact, and he didn't have classes the next day, so why not stay up a bit?' He thought.

James slowly sat up, got dressed quietly, grabbed his invisibility cloak and the map of Hogwarts he and his friends had made the year before, and tip-toed out the room, so as not to wake his mates up. He covered himself up with the cloak and went down to the kitchens, where he nicked some butterbeer, and oddly some honey goat cheese and crackers. He then stole over to the doors of Hogwarts and stepped into the chilly autumn night.  
James took a deep breath, loving the smell of fall leaves and the crisp autumn air.  
With one look at the sky, he decided he wouldn't be walking that night, it was time for one of his favorite things. Then he remembered, the astronomy professor had said that there was going to be a meteor shower this week, and it would probably start up soon! He hurried over to the deck, the spot he always looked at the stars from, but someone was already there. Someone with red hair, someone that made his heart leap in his chest. Lily Marie Evans.  
"Hey." He said.  
Lily looked up, startled, then when she saw who it was, returned her gaze to the stars.  
"Hiya James. . . " She said softly.  
"Mind if I join you?" James asked, smiling a small smile.  
"Go ahead, just. . . Try not to disturb the peace of this setting," she joked, still almost whispering.  
James lay down on the blanket next to her and offered her one of the butterbeers he brought and some of the cheese and crackers. Lily accepted them with a smile.  
"The stars are so beautiful, aren't they James? I could just watch them forever! They. . . they help me think."  
"I know what you mean, they seem to clear my head. What are you thinking about Lils?" The messy haired young man questioned.  
"Just. . . it's our last year, and I want to make it the best yet. I just don't know how to do that. You're lucky James, you already know what you are going to do." Lily sighed.  
James was silent for a minute or two, thinking. "Well, I know what I'm doing with the Marauders. I don't want to be remembered just as in a group of famous pranksters. I want to do something for myself too, that will help me be remembered, not just as one of the Marauders."  
"I never thought of it that way. . . I always thought you would want to be remembered as a prankster, but I guess you'd want something else also. . ."  
"Yeah. . ."  
They were silent for a while, lost in thought as they stared at the stars.  
"You know," voiced Lily, "I've always thought a muggle astronomer would be an amazing job. . . seeing the stars up close through telescopes and figuring out distances and stuff. It would be so brilliant!" Lily looked at James.  
"That would be! Did you know, Professor Sinatra said that there would be a meteor shower tonight? Well, I think it's starting!" James exclaimed, spotting a shooting star streak across the sky.  
Lily's gaze went back to the night sky, and almost immediately, she squealed, "Look James! A shooting star!" James looked to where she was pointing in time to see it blink out.  
"You saw that didn't you?" Lily asked. "We should make a wish! Ok, on three. . . One, two, three!" They both closed their eyes, and made their wishes.  
"What did you wish for Lily?" James asked quietly, his eyes on the sky above watching the numerous "stars" fall.  
"I'm not telling you!" She said, "It might not come true if I do!"  
James huffed with laughter. "Fine then, keep your secrets! But I'll tell you mine; I don't believe in that stuff. . . I have to not believe in it, if I want to stay myself!"  
"What is it?" Lily whispered, she already had an idea.  
He sat up and looked down at her, the stars framing his messy hair and hazel eyes behind glasses. He locked his eyes with hers. "My wish, Lily, is that. . . well. . . that you'd give me a chance. I know we are friends now, but I can't not want to be more. . ." His eyes pleaded with hers, "Lily? What say you?"  
Lily sat up suddenly, and turned her body so they were sitting cross legged facing each other. She leaned forward. "That James. . . I might just have to do," she said, her green eyes twinkling.  
James, his eyes twinkling back, like the stars above him, leaned forward, and placed a hesitant, yet glorious and wonderful kiss on her lips.  
"I might have to take you up on that." James whispered.  
"I'll keep you to it," Lily whispered back, and leaned in for another kiss.  
A bit later, the sunrise would find them sitting side by side, leaning back against the deck railings, James with his arm around Lily's shoulders, snuggled in the blanket, with the pillow between the railings cushioning their heads, fast asleep.

* * *

"And that is how James and Lily, my parents, finally got together," Harry told Ginny, sitting on the very same deck at around the same time of the year, watching the same stars that Harry's parents had been gazing at.

"How did you learn that story Harry?" Ginny asked.

Harry smiled. "Sirius and Remus told me during Christmas one year."  
Ginny smiled back. "You miss them, don't you. Both your parents, Sirius, and Remus."  
"Yes, I do, but they will always be in our memories; from experiences we've had with them, or from stories we've heard. They will always be there."  
Ginny laid her head on Harry's shoulder, and he put his arm around her. They sat there, sitting quietly, gazing at the stars, and thinking of the two people that had done much the same thing they were doing now. The stars looked down upon them, just like they had looked down on a redheaded girl and messy haired man with glasses years before. It seemed like nothing had changed, but there had been two wars and various other hardships in between these two meetings. Both of these couples were remembered for things that they had done to protect their world and their family. Lily and James died for their son and each other. Harry and Ginny fought in the second war, Harry finally killing the most evil wizard of all time, Lord Voldemort. He was even willing to die for his friends and adopted family. They had many years of hardship and strife behind them, or before them in Lily and James' case, but at that moment they seemed removed from time; all was well.

**Hope you all liked it! I had fun writing it too, which is a plus! Thanks for reading! Please review and favorite! There will not be a second one, so please do not add to story alert, thanks!**

**Love, **

**Subra :) Happy New Years! **


End file.
